Garment-supporting fixture



P 1952 w. E. ZAMBONI ETAL GARMENT-SUPPORTING FIXTURE Original FiledMarch 18, 1946 i ywww m wn/ im P. mal

4 MMWK I :0 y W 3 Patented Sept. 23, 1952 GARMENT-SUPPORTING 'FI TURWilliam E. Zamboni, Longview, Wasln, and Kenneth E. Luger, Minneapolis,Minn, assignors to Kenneth E. Luger and Catherine .P. Luger, apartnership doing business as Kenneth E. Luger 00., Minneapolis, Minn.

Continuation of application Serial No. 655,156,

March 18, 1946. This application October 13 1949, Serial N0. 121,140

Claims. (01. 224-4245) 1 Our present invention relates to an improvedgarment hanger that is particularly designed for use in automobiles andsimilar vehicles, wherein little or no provision is usually made for thehanging of coats, jackets, and the like, and wherein wall space for theanchoring of conventional hooks or the like is at a premium in View ofthe large amount of wall area taken up by glazed windows.

This application is filed as a continuation of our copendingapplication, Serial No. 655,156, filed on March 18, 1946. I

An important object of the invention is the provision of an improvedgarment-hanging fixture which can be rigidly but detachably applied tothe window frame of an automobile body or the like without the use oftools and without defacing the automobile body.

Other objects of the invention are the provision of a device of theclass and'for the purpose described which can be produced at very lowcost, can be collapsed for shipment in a minimum of space, can beaccommodated to window frames of different dimensions, and which may beapplied and removed with a minimum of effort.

The above and numerous other highly important objects and advantages ofthe invention will be made apparent from the following specification,claims, and appended drawings.

Y In the accompanying drawings, like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: 7

Fig. 1- is a fragmentary perspective view, looking'from the insidetoward the outside, of that portion of an automobile body including aglazed window opening and frame, and showing one of our improvedgarment-supporting brackets in operative position with respect to thewindow and frame;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the upper end portion ofthe fixture of Fig.

' l in inside edgeelevation;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of that portion of the fixture shownin Fig. 2

'Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in inner edge elevationof the free end portion of-one of the laterally resilient legs ofthefixture of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of that portion of one ofthe resilient legs shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, on a still further enlargedscale, taken on the line 6-43 of Fig. 2.

In Fig. l, the side wall of the body of an automobile or the like isindicated by I, a window opening by 2, a window glass by 3, a channelinto which the glass 3 maybe lowered'to open the window by 4, and awindow frame molding by 5. The elements l-5 may be considered as beingroughly illustrative of conventionalautomobile body structure whereinthe glass panels of the windows are vertically slidably mounted inchannels and are opened by being lowered into asuitable channel orreceiving space below the window opening. In referring to this conventional structure, the terms glass and "glazed" have been used in a broadand liberal sense with the intention of covering all glass substitutesor mechanical equivalents thereof, and the term window frame is used ina broad and liberal sense to describe that portion of a wall structureimmediately surrounding the window opening regardless of whether such bea separate frame element or an integral part of the wall structure. V v

The improved fixture, in its preferred commercial embodiment hereinillustrated, comprises a pair of like elongated legs 6 and agarmerit-supporting arm or bracket 1. The elongated legs 6 are made offlat flexible strip material, such as steel or the like, and are quitereadily flexed'in directions of their minimum cross-sectionaldimensions, but are relatively rigid in directions of their maximumcross-sectional dimensions. For the sake of convenience, the term"laterally flexible may hereinafter be employed in referring to theabove described.

flexibility of -the legs. The upper ends of these laterally flexiblelegs are out turned at right angles to provide feet 8 and at their lowerend portions the legs '6 are turned outwardly at obtu-se angles toprovide feet 9. The like legs 6', which are substantially straightintermediate their feet-equipped ends 8 and 9, are assembled side byside with their relatively wide flat surfaces in spaced parallelrelation and the feet of opposite legs turned laterally outwardly. Withthe legs thus positioned, a sole plate I0 is disposed over the two feet8 of the opposite legs and is spot welded or otherwise made fastthereto, and the inner end of 'the garment-supporting bracket 1 isinserted into the space between the connected upper ends of the legs 6and is pivoted therebetween by a rivet or the like II passedtherethrough and the opposite legs 6 and located in spaced relation tothe adjacent ends of the legs. The said garment-supporting bracket I,which is turned upwardly at its upper limited against downward movementbeyond its outwardly-extended operative position by engagement with astop 12 in the nature of a tubular spacer mounted on a rivet or the like[3 passed therethrough and through the opposite legs. The feet 9 and thesole plate ID of the legs 6 are preferably equipped with resilient friction pads 9' and Ill respectively, these pads, in w the formillustrated, being in the nature of strips of rubber, synthetic rubber,or the like doubled around their respective feet-forming leg ends, andsecured in place by clamping bands or collars I4. Additionally, ofcourse, this rubber stripping forming the g' esilient friction pads 9'and 10f may be cemented directly to their respective leg portions. 7 Thegarment-supporting bracket or element 1, as will be seen by reference toFigs. 1 and 3, is provided along its upper edge with a series of notchesI4 adapted to receive the hooks of conventional coat hangers and thelike. Also, as previously indicated the outer end of the bracket 'l' isturned outwardly to permit the bracket to serve as -a hook upon which.to directly hang coats, jackets, and the like.

."JThe freeend portions of the laterally flexible legs 6 are providedwith anchoring flanges and the connected end portions of the legs 5 areprovided with common anchoring flange t3. Ihe

.fiat faces of the anchoring flanges i 5 and iii most closely adjacentthe legs 6 are disposed in a common plane closely adjacent. to andsubstantially parallel to the planeof thesaid adjacent longitudinaledges of the legs 6, and which edges are ,oppb'site the edges of thelegs from which the.

hook-acting bracket element 1 projects. In the preferred embodimentillustrated, the anchoring flange 16 is integrally formed with the footif and the anchoring flanges l 5 are each formed by the free wing of asmall angle bra-ckethaving its other wing, indicated by [overlying andrigidly stantially parallel and relatively close together as shown bydotted lines in Fig. l, and the bracket 7 will usually be moved to itsupper dotted line position of Fig. 3, whereby to facilitate packing andshipment in the smallest possible space. The

over-all length of the fixture will be greater than the verticalmeasurement of the openings of windows with which the device isdesignedto operate. To apply the device to the window of an automobile body orthe like, the retaining or anchoring flange it will be first insertedbetween the window glass and the upper-longitudinally intermediateportion of the window frame until the feet 8, through the medium of theplate 19 and pad Ill, operatively engage or seat against the innermarginal edge of the window frame. Withthis don'e,.the free ends of thelegs 8 are spread to-eifectively foreshortenthe fixture until theretaining flange-equipped feet 9 thereof are raised above the bottominner marginal edge of 4 the window frame, after which the retainingflanges 5 are entered into the space between the window glass 3 and thewindow frame, to the extent limited by seatingof the pad-equipped feet 8on the bottom inner marginal portion of the window frame. With thedevice thus positioned, the tendency of the legs to straighten out will,of course, maintain the fixture tightly positioned within the windowopening, and the pads 9' and 10' will protect the window frame (thatportion of the body surrounding the window opening) from scratching orwearing oif of its finish, and will aid in maintaining the legs properlypositioned and against sliding action when under load. The hook-actingbracket 7 will, of course, be extended as shown by full lines, for use,but may be folded up out of the way, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3,when not in use.

What I claim is:

1. In a garment hanger of the kind and for the purpose set forth, a'pair oflaterally resilient elongated legs secured together adjacenttheir upper ends and having their opposite or lower ends free foryielding spreading movements one in respect to the other thereof, agarment-supporting elementcarried by the connected upper end portions ofsaid legs and projecting therefrom in a direction transversely'of theplane of the longitudinal edges of the legs, the connected upper andfree lower ends of said legs being adapted to engage opposite innermarginal wall portions of a window frame and being provided withprojecting retaining flanges adapted to extend into the space betweenthewindow glass and frame, theseveral retaining flanges being disposed in acommon plane closely adjacent to and substantially parallel to the planeof the longitudinal edges of the legs opposite the direction of.projection of the garmentesupporting element.

,2. A,garment-supportingfixture comprising a pair oflaterall'y resilientelongated'legs connected together adjacent their upper ends in laterallyspaced relation but being otherwise free of one another to permitspreading of the legs, a garment-supporting bracket having its inner endportion disposed between the spaced connected upper end portions of theopposite legs and projecting therefrom, the connected upper and freelower ends .of said legs being adapted to engage opposite inner marginalwall portions of a window frame and. bein provided "with retainingflanges projecting therefrom and adapted to extend into the spacebetween the window glass and frame of a window, the several retainingflanges being disposed in a common plane closely adjacentfto andsubstantially parallel to the plane of the longitudinal edges of thelegs opposite the direction of projection of the garment-supportingbracket.

3. A garment-supporting fixture comprising a pair of laterally resilientlegs in the nature of elongated fiat strips laid side by side with theirflat faces in opposed relation and being connected together at theirupperends, a garmentsupporting bracket having its inner end disposedbetween and anchored between the connected upper end portions .of thelegs and projecting therefrom, the lower ends and intermediate portionsof the legs being free of one another to permit spreading of the legs,the connected upper and free lower ends of said legs being adapted toengage opposite inner marginal wall portions of a window frame and beingprovided with projecting retaining flanges adapted to extend into thespace of the window glass and frame,

5 the several retaining flanges being disposed in a common plane closelyadjacent to and substantially parallel to the plane of the longitudinaledges of the legs opposite the direction of projection of thegarment-supporting element.

4. A garment-supporting fixture comprising a pair of laterally resilientlegs in the nature of elongated fiat strips laid side by side with theirfiat faces in opposed relation and being connected together at theirupper ends, a garmentsupporting bracket pivoted to the connected upperend portions of one of said legs in spaced relation to the extremeconnected end of the pair for pivotal movements between anoutwardlyextended operative position and an inoperative position whereinsaid bracket extends substantially in the direction of the connectedends of the legs, stop means limiting pivotal movements of the bracketin one direction beyond the said operation position thereof, the lowerends and intermediate portions of the legs being free of one another topermit spreading of the legs, the connected upper and free outer ends ofsaid legs being adapted to engage opposite inner marginal wall portionsof a Window frame and being pro- 5. In a garment hanger of the kind andfor the purpose set forth, a pair of laterally resilient elongated legssecured together adjacent their upper ends, a garment-supporting elementcarried by and projecting from said connected ends of said legs, theconnected upper and free outer ends of said legs being adapted to engageopposite inner marginal wall portions of a window frame and beingprovided with projecting retaining flanges adapted to extend into thespace between the said window glass and frame, said garment-supportingelement being pivoted to said legs for arcuate movements between anoutwardly-extending operative position and an inoperative positionwherein it extends substantially longitudinally of the connected upperends of the legs.

WILLIAM E. ZAMBONI. KENNETH E. LUGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

